In automatic machines for the formation, filling and closing of bags obtained from a continuous tubular mesh it is usual to obtain, as an intermediate product, tubular mesh portions closed at their bottom and open at the upper part which, in a work station of the machine, are filled with the products that the bags are to contain once finished. While in some machines the mesh portions are separated from the continuous tubular mesh and are held by the edges of their mouth, keeping them open, in other machines the mesh portions are not separated from the rest of the tubular mesh until the products are introduced therein. In any case, the products are usually dropped from a certain height such that, by the effect of gravity, they are introduced in the mesh portions through their mouth.
Thus, for example, a type of known machine is that comprising a tubular body on which a storage of continuous tubular mesh is externally assembled and through which a predetermined number of pieces of the product is dropped from an upper hopper, which is deposited at the closed end of a mesh portion which is extended below the level of the mouth of the mentioned tubular body and which determines the bottom of a bag being formed. At the lower end of the tubular body there are provided means to prevent the unwanted dragging of a length of mesh exceeding the length of the bag being formed, when the pieces of the product suddenly impinge on the bottom of the bag being formed. Once the pieces have been introduced in the tubular mesh portion, the latter is closed at the upper part and is separated from the rest of the tubular mesh, a bag full of product thus being obtained.
This way of filling the bags being formed is not applicable for certain large or heavy products such as melons or watermelons, due to the fact, among other reasons, that they are excessively fragile and therefore are easily spoilt or damaged when they are dropped from a certain height, and that they exert an excessive force on the tubular mesh when they impinge on the bottom thereof, being able to break it. For these reasons, known machines have not been used to date for packaging products other than citrus fruits, tubers or products with similar characteristics, which can be accumulated in hoppers and subsequently dropped to fill the bags, without being damaged.